28. C. propinqua, A. Cunn. Precur. n. 472.—A large branching shrub or small tree 6–20 ft. high; branches widely divaricating, young ones puberulous; bark brown or brownish-grey. Leaves opposite, or in opposite fascicles on short arrested branchlets, ¼–½ in. long, 112–18 in. wide, linear or narrow linear-oblong or narrow linear-obovate, obtuse or subacute, gradually narrowed into a very short petiole or sessile, rather coriaceous; veins obscure. Flowers solitary or in 2–4-flowered fascicles, each fascicle invested by a 4-toothed cupuliform involucre, and each flower involucellate. Males: Calyx wanting. Corolla 16 in. long, campanulate, 4–5-partite. Females: Calyx-limb 4-toothed. Corolla 18 in. long, tubular, 3–4-lobed. Drupe ⅓ in. long, globose or broadly oblong, bluish or bluish-black or quite black.—Raoul, Choix. 46; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 109; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 116; Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xix. (1887) 245; Kirk, Students' Fl. 241. C. alba, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxiv. (1892) 388.
North and South Islands, Stewart Island, Chatham Islands: Abundant throughout in swampy forests or by the side of rivers, &c. Sea-level to 1500 ft. Mingimingi. September–October.
Allied to C. Cunninghamii, but distinguished by the more spreading habit, dark bark, smaller narrower leaves, smaller and fewer flowers, and by the drupe not being white and translucent.
29. C. Kirkii, Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxix. (1897) 391.—A much and closely branched procumbent or suberect shrub, often forming rounded masses 2–4 ft. high and the same in diam.; rarely taller, erect, and loosely spreading. Branches stout, often interlaced; branchlets obscurely tetragonous, usually more or less clothed with short greyish pubescence, rarely almost glabrous. Leaves opposite or in opposite fascicles, ½–1 in. long, linear or narrow linear-oblong or narrow linear-obovate, obtuse or subacute, gradually narrowed into a very short petiole, flat, coriaceous or almost membranous; midrib evident below; lateral veins usually indistinct. Stipules very short, broad, ciliate. Flowers in 3–6-flowered fascicles on short arrested branchlets, rarely solitary. Males: Calyx wanting. Corolla 16 in. long, broadly campanulate, 4–5-partite. Females smaller and narrower. Calyx-limb minutely 4-toothed. Corolla funnel-shaped, deeply 4-lobed. Drupe (immature) 16 in. long, oblong.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 241. Plagianthus linariifolia, Buch. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi. (1884) 394, t. 34, f. 1.
North Island: Auckland—Tapotopoto Bay, Kirk! coast between Spirits Bay and the North Cape, T.F.C.; near Ahipara, R. H. Mattheivs! T.F.C.; South Head of Hokianga Harbour, Kirk! Taranaki—Near Opunake, Kirk! Hawke's Bay—Portland Island, Bishop Williams!
It is possible that more species than one may be included in the above description, but the material at my disposal is insufficient to determine this. Mr. Kirk's original specimens from Tapotopoto Bay are from a procumbent shrub with closely placed fascicled leaves and pubescent branchlets, and my own, from near the North Cape, agree in habit and the pubescent branches, but have larger spreading leaves. The Ahipara plant is erect, with lax almost
